NPR's voluntary buyout deadline is May 26 — five days from today. CEO Katherine Maher has told staff that if the buyout targets are not met, involuntary layoffs will follow. Approximately 300 employees are eligible.
The $8 million deficit driving the cuts was created by the elimination of federal public media subsidies. NPR received $113 million in private donations this year, but that money is restricted to technology innovation, not operations — meaning it cannot be used to keep the journalists employed.
Congress cut the funding. The deficit is being resolved by cutting the journalists who cover Congress. NPR has $113 million in the door that cannot legally be redirected to the problem — it is restricted to technology innovation, not keeping reporters employed.
If the buyout targets are not met by May 26, the cuts become involuntary. That is five days from now. Defund the press that covers you, then watch the press disappear. Clean mechanism. No phone calls required.